The present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems, and, in particular, to group call services in wireless communication systems.
When a new group call is initiated by a mobile station (MS), a Group Call Controller determines a corresponding talkgroup by reference to a database listing the talkgroup. The Group Call Controller then conveys a page to the talkgroup members, or MSs affiliated with the talkgroup, which page includes a talkgroup identifier associated with the talkgroup. When an MS is not otherwise engaged in an active communication, the MS responds to the page and is coupled by the Group Call Controller to the talkgroup call. However, when an MS is actively engaged in another group call at the time that the MS is paged, then the MS does not respond to the page. The Group Call Controller does not try to individually contact the MS that is actively engaged in another group call. As a result, an MS that is actively engaged in another group call is not coupled to the new group call.
Situations exist where it may be desirable to interrupt an MS participating in an on-going group call in order to couple the MS to a new group call involving a first talkgroup and to not interrupt the user in the event of a group call involving a second, different talkgroup. For example, a user may be a member of a first talkgroup, such as a business talkgroup, and a second talkgroup, such as a social talkgroup. Such a user may desire to be interrupted by, and to participate in, a group call involving the business talkgroup if the user is participating in a group call involving the social talkgroup. On the other hand, the user may desire to not be interrupted if the user is participating in a group call involving the business talk group and a group call involving the social talkgroup is initiated. In the prior art, a user participating in a group call is not alerted to the existence of a new group call while the user continues to participate in an earlier group call. In addition, in the prior art the user cannot select the group calls for which he or she shall be interrupted and shall not be interrupted.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for interrupting a participant in a group call when a new group call is initiated and for allowing the participant to select the group calls for which he or she shall be interrupted and the group calls for which he or she shall not be interrupted.